Updated 16 January 2024
Botanical characteristics
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Order: Apiales
- Sub-order: Apiineae
- Family: Apiaceae
- Genus: Anethum
- Part used: Seeds
- Country of origin: Bulgaria, France, Hungary
Precautions for use
Caution! Dill essential oil is for adults only.
It should be handled with care as it contains ketones, which are neurotoxic and abortifacient molecules.
It is therefore not recommended for use by children, pregnant women or people with severe neurological disorders.
It must be used diluted and the dosage must be strictly adhered to.
Other precautions
Warning:
- Seek medical advice before using dill essential oil for asthma.
- It is not recommended for people with gallstones.
Cutaneous use:
- Dill essential oil should be diluted to 20% in vegetable oil before use as it is irritating to the skin (20% essential oil and 80% vegetable oil).
Ingestion:
- Do not exceed 3 drops per day for 10 days.
- There is a risk of nephrotoxicity with prolonged use and high doses.
Allergenic components:
Dill essential oil contains an allergenic biochemical component:
- Monoterpenes: limonene (25-40%), alpha-phellandrene, myrcene
- Monoterpenones: carvone (25-35%)
Note: It is best to test the essential oil before use (two drops on the crease of the elbow for at least 24 hours to check for a reaction).
Authorised users
How to use
Risks of use
Properties
- Cholagogue, choleretic
- Hypocholesterolemic
- Anticatarrhal, mucolytic
- Carminative
- Antibacterial
- Eupeptic
- Diuretic, renal anti-inflammatory
- Emmenagogue
- Digestive stimulant and antispasmodic
- Moderate anticoagulant
Indications
- Aerophagia
- Abdominal swelling
- Bronchitis
- Dyspepsia
- Difficult digestion
- Hiccups
- Wet cough
- Hepato-biliary insufficiency
- Nephritic colitis
Directions for use/usual dosage
- It is best used externally, diluted and combined with other essential oils such as rosemary verbenone for its action on the liver.
Cooking
- Can be used in cooking. However, the essential oil of the whole plant is preferable.
Find out more
- The main constituents are terpenes and carvone.
- It is preferable to use the essential oil of the whole plant rather than that extracted from the seeds, as it is less concentrated in ketones (and therefore safer) and richer in terpenes (and therefore more stimulating).
- In general, the properties and indications of the 2 EOs are quite similar.
- Carvone is a less toxic ketone, which reduces the restrictions and contraindications. For very young children and pregnant women, the use of the hydrosol will have a gentle, effective and non-toxic effect.
- The essential oil extracted from caraway seeds (Carum carvi) has an identical composition and indications.